Sex offender at center of Carlsbad church debate seeks acceptance

Pliska said he did not know there was a school next to the
church until his first visit.

"I knew that could be a potential problem when I went there," he
said. "That's why I went to Madison."

Pliska said he knew he ran a risk in telling the congregation
about his past, but he wanted to be upfront with the minister and
his congregation. If he has to go to another church, Pliska said he
again will tell people about his past convictions.

"I feel that I'm not a threat," he said. "That's the reason I
came forth. For people to know about me."

Pliska said he has spent years working on the personal demons
that led to his convictions, and he sees the work continuing for
the rest of his life. But he also said he wants people to give him
a chance to show that he has changed.

"I'd like to show that I'm not the monster the media has
portrayed me as," he said. "People think that once you're convicted
that you're always going to be that way. That's not necessarily
true. There are people who do change, and I'm one of them. I want
to be an acceptable member of society."